diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8839d5b02..dfae6ed8f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ TEST_OBJ = $(patsubst %.c,%.o,\
            $(wildcard tests/t[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]-*.c))
 TEST_EXE = $(patsubst %.o,%.exe,$(TEST_OBJ))
 TEST_RUN = $(patsubst %.exe,%.run,$(TEST_EXE))
+TEST_VAL = $(patsubst %.exe,%.val,$(TEST_EXE))
 
 ifndef NO_OPENSSL
 	SHA1_HEADER = <openssl/sha.h>
@@ -82,6 +83,9 @@ apidocs:
 test: $(GIT_LIB)
 	@$(MAKE) -C tests --no-print-directory test
 
+valgrind: $(GIT_LIB)
+	@$(MAKE) -C tests --no-print-directory valgrind
+
 sparse:
 	cgcc -no-compile $(ALL_CFLAGS) $(SPARSE_FLAGS) $(SRC_C)
 
@@ -116,7 +120,7 @@ $(GIT_LIB): $(OBJS)
 	$(AR) $(GIT_LIB) $(OBJS)
 	$(RANLIB) $(GIT_LIB)
 
-$(TEST_OBJ) $(TEST_EXE) $(TEST_RUN):
+$(TEST_OBJ) $(TEST_EXE) $(TEST_RUN) $(TEST_VAL):
 	@$(MAKE) -C tests --no-print-directory \
 		OS=$(OS) NO_OPENSSL=$(NO_OPENSSL) $(@F)
 
@@ -125,7 +129,7 @@ libgit2.pc: libgit2.pc.in
 
 .PHONY: all
 .PHONY: clean
-.PHONY: test $(TEST_RUN) $(TEST_EXE) $(TEST_OBJ)
+.PHONY: test $(TEST_VAL) $(TEST_RUN) $(TEST_EXE) $(TEST_OBJ)
 .PHONY: apidocs
 .PHONY: install-headers
 .PHONY: install uninstall
diff --git a/tests/Makefile b/tests/Makefile
index 7ce510638..813b24636 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile
+++ b/tests/Makefile
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ CFLAGS = -g -O2 -Wall
 LIBS   = -L.. -lgit2 -lz
 OS     = unix
 
+VFLAGS = -q --error-exitcode=1 --leak-check=yes --suppressions=../tests.supp
+
 CRYPTO_LIB = -lcrypto
 
 EXTRA_LIBS =
@@ -21,6 +23,7 @@ TEST_OBJ = $(patsubst %.c,%.o,\
            $(wildcard t[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]-*.c))
 TEST_EXE = $(patsubst %.o,%.exe,$(TEST_OBJ))
 TEST_RUN = $(patsubst %.exe,%.run,$(TEST_EXE))
+TEST_VAL = $(patsubst %.exe,%.val,$(TEST_EXE))
 
 ifndef NO_OPENSSL
 	EXTRA_LIBS += $(CRYPTO_LIB)
@@ -40,6 +43,8 @@ clean:
 
 test: $(TEST_RUN)
 
+valgrind: $(TEST_VAL)
+
 .c.o:
 	$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
@@ -79,6 +84,15 @@ $(TEST_RUN): %.run: %.exe
 	  else rmdir $$t; exit 1; \
 	 fi
 
+$(TEST_VAL): %.val: %.exe
+	@t=trash-$(<F) && \
+	 mkdir $$t && \
+	 if (cd $$t && valgrind $(VFLAGS) ../$<); \
+	  then rm -rf $$t; \
+	  else rmdir $$t; exit 1; \
+	 fi
+
 .PHONY: all
 .PHONY: clean
 .PHONY: test $(TEST_RUN)
+.PHONY: $(TEST_VAL)
diff --git a/tests/tests.supp b/tests/tests.supp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fe9d965dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tests.supp
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+	ignore-zlib-cond
+	Memcheck:Cond
+	obj:*libz.so*
+}
+